Are things like a stiff, tender jaw or chronic pain in your head, neck, ears, face, or shoulders a common experience for you? For many people, all of these symptoms actually have the same source: TMD, or temporomandibular joint disorder. TMD is a condition where the small joints in your lower jaw located in front of your ears (called the TMJ, or temporomandibular joints) have become strained or misaligned, and it can cause a multitude of both dental and overall health issues. Fortunately, you can get the treatment you need from a specially trained TMJ dentist in Schenectady. They’ll be able to identify the root cause of your pain and offer a number of treatments that will provide relief.
What Causes TMD?
As we just mentioned, TMD occurs when the TMJ becomes strained or misaligned, but what causes this in the first place?
TMD can be brought on by many things, including facial trauma, arthritis in the joint, or a misalignment of the bite that prevents the jaw from closing properly. When the teeth’s resting position differs from the jaw, this can cause tension in the facial muscles, which can lead to all kinds of pain and even unconscious teeth grinding.
Some signs that you might have TMD are:
- A jaw that is sore or tough to move
- A jaw that clicks or pops when opening or closing
- A jaw that becomes “stuck”
- Chronic headaches
- Frequent earaches
- Pain in the face, neck, shoulders, and back
Muscle tension in your jaw can easily lead to tension in other places, which is why for many migraine sufferers, the source of their problem isn’t actually their head, but their jaw!
How a TMJ Dentist Can Help
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, a specially-trained TMJ dentist can evaluate your jaw, teeth, and accompanying symptoms to determine if you are actually suffering from TMD. They’ll test the range of motion of your jaw, check your bite alignment, as well as examine the state of your teeth, as crooked/missing teeth can often lead to TMD.
If you do indeed have this condition, treatment is typically very straightforward. At Capital Smiles, Dr. Page may give you a custom-fitted nightguard to wear to bed in order to help your jaw muscles reposition themselves into a more natural and relaxed orientation (as well as protect your teeth from grinding together). If the problem stems from the alignment of your bite, Drs. Page can also provide a number of treatments to make sure they come together smoothly and leave your jaw in a neutral position.
Additionally, at Capital Smiles Dr. Page use Botox to effectively treat TMD. A few strategically placed injections can relax the muscles in your face that are causing your painful symptoms. The treatment itself only takes about 10 minutes, and patients usually begin to feel relief within the next two to seven days.
Don’t Wait
If any of the symptoms we listed above sound familiar, don’t hesitate to contact a TMJ dentist in your area. Living with chronic pain is no way to go through life, and the longer you wait, the more damage the condition can do to both your teeth and jaw. A visit to Capital Smiles could be the first step to enjoying pain-free days again, and that’s certainly worth smiling about.
About the Author
Dr. Erin Page is a general, restorative, and TMJ dentist practicing at Capital Smiles in Schenectady, NY. She has extensive training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of TMD, including Botox therapy. If you are experiencing TMD symptoms, call 518-374-0317 to request an appointment today!